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History of Morgan City High School Wikia
Beginnings (1861-1900) The early settlers of Brashear City (which in 1876 was renamed Morgan City after shipping and railroad magnate Charles Morgan) were interested in education, and some were themselves very well educated. Their idea of this, however, was that the instruction would be received from private teachers, and they gave no thought to public schools. The earliest recorded movement toward the establishment of a public school began in 1861, when a sum of three hundred dollars was provided by the mayor and councilmen of Brashear City for the erection of a public school house on the town square, and the remaining amount needed was raised by the School Board through public subscription. In the early 1870s, this structure was used as a Union Church and schoolhouse. What became of that first building is not known, but the lower floor of the Masonic Hall replaced it. Due to the efforts of Thomas Shannon, who served the schools for fourteen years, and of Gus Drews, president of the St. Mary Parish School Board, a renewed interest in education arose in the town. The number of pupils attending school increased to the extent that it became necessary to replace the one-room schoolhouse and build the town’s first two-room school, a little red building which stood on the spot that was eventually occupied by the Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church parsonage on Federal Avenue. On September 14, 1900, the St. Mary Parish School Board met and elected Wilbur H. Kramer to serve as Superintendent, and decided to divide St. Mary Parish into several districts according to the existing wards at the time. They also agreed that schools should be located in these districts, provided that the School Board should incur no expenses in building, renting, repairing and keeping the buildings in good condition. The School Board would only be responsible for paying teachers, purchasing furniture and providing school supplies. Morgan City, Ramos, Amelia, Berwick and Bayou Wax fell into the 6th Ward. A resolution was adopted stating that the school in Morgan City would be known as the Morgan City Grammar School and that it should have at least seven grades of study - four primary and three grammar. It was further decided that Morgan City would have three teachers: a principal, who would be paid a salary of $75 per month, and two assistants making $40 and $35 per month. Morgan City Grammar School Principal William C. Garnett (1900-1905) William C. Garnett was named principal of Morgan City Grammar School and his assistants were Misses Rose Verrett and Irene Harris. By the end of 1900, the Morgan City Grammar School building had become overcrowded and needed an addition built to it. Thomas Shannon, representing the City Council, appeared before the School Board to present a proposal to construct an addition to the schoolhouse, to cost not less than the amount due from Morgan City for school taxes from 1898 and 1899, if the School Board would forgive the debt. The School Board agreed to these terms and Morgan City funded a larger building. The School Board also approve a committee consisting of Thomas Shannon, Ralph Squires, Gus Drews, John R. Drackett, and Borue O'Brien, who had been appointed on behalf of the people, to raise the necessary funds for the construction of another building on Federal Avenue. The new annex was funded and construction was quickly completed. By the 1902-03 school year, the city had already experienced tremendous growth and the school was once again in need of expansion. The number of students had reached 132 pupils. On June 14, 1904, the School Board announced at a meeting in Franklin, LA, the following appointments of teachers to Morgan City Grammar School: Professor William C. Garnett, principal; Misses Lula Campbell, Sidonie McDaniel, Sophie Ozenne and Ethel Costello, assistants. Principal A. V. Smith (1905-1907) On July 12, 1905, the St. Mary Parish School Board announced the following appointment for the Morgan City Grammar School for the 1905-06 session: Andrew V. Smith, principal, Inez Bateman, assistant, and teachers Nellie Baker, Lula Campbell and Ethel Costello. In a meeting of the St. Mary Parish School Board on May 19, 1906, the following appointments were announced for the Morgan City Grammar School for the 1906-07 term: Andrew V. Smith, principal, Inez Bateman, assistant, teacher Nellie Baker and two open budgeted positions. There were 228 students enrolled for the 1906-07 session. In March 1907, Miss Reine Mayer, daughter of Judge and Mrs. Isaac Mayer of Franklin was appointed to a teaching position at Morgan City High School. Principal Sidney Cook (1907-1908) On July 20, 1907, the St. Mary Parish School Board announced the following appointments for the Morgan City Grammar School for the 1907-08 session: Sidney Cook, principal, Inez Bateman, Lillian Prudhomme, Mollie Baker, Hazel Olivier and Winnie Bonneville. By 1908, the city had outgrown the facilities once again. The upper grades were forced to convene on the upper floor of City Hall. Since this building had the only public dance floor at that time, the students looked forward to the dances and church fairs. The day before such events was devoted to removing the partitions which separated the school rooms, which gave the students a holiday. Principal George B. Allen (1908-1909) On July 8, 1908, the following appointments were announced for the Morgan City Grammar School for the 1908-09 term: George B. Allen, principal, and Annie Lynch, assistant. In that same meeting, the School Board unanimously passed an ordinance creating the Morgan City School District. Mayor of Morgan City Charles L. Wise addressed the meeting and stated that the newly created district would embrace a property valuation of about $800,000 and that the people in the district would soon propose to levy a tax of 2.5 mills for for a period of twenty years and to issue bonds for about $25,000 for the purpose of erecting a school building for the district in the town of Morgan City. Mayor Wise also stated that the town of Morgan City proposed further to supplement this amount out of its current funds and that he thought other money would be available. School Board President Wilson McKerall stated for the School Board that they would be glad to assist as liberally as they had done for other districts voting a special tax. Morgan City High School Principal Charles Everett Carnes (1910-1914) On January 13, 1909, the St. Mary Parish School Board met and appropriated $5,000 for the purchase of a schoolhouse site in Morgan City. The following committee was appointed on Building, Finance and Site: Gus Drews, James F. Prohaska, Eugene A. Pharr, Herbert M. Cotten, Charles L. Wise, Leopold Loeb, John R. Drackett and Thomas L. Morse. On April 7, 1909, the School Board met and reported that a special election was held on October 27, 1908, and the voters of the new Morgan City School District overwhelmingly passed the special school tax by a 96% margin. On April 19, 1909, bids were opened for the construction of a "two-story and basement brick school building," and work was completed before the end of the year at a cost of $36,000. The new school was to be named Morgan City High School. On July 7, 1909, The School Board announced the following appointments for Morgan City: Charles E. Carnes, principal, Ruby White and Miss Ditch, assistants. The Board also approved the sale of the property of the former Morgan City Grammar School on Federal Avenue for a price not less than $2,000, with proceeds to go towards the credit of the building fund of the new school building under construction. Class of 1910 On January 3, 1910, the first principal of Morgan City High School, Charles E. Carnes, his faculty and 462 students moved into the new building, located on the corner of Federal and Brashear Avenues. The upper floor was used for the high school classes and the subjects were taught by three teachers. The Class of 1910's session ended three days early due to an outbreak of German measles, but they held their graduation exercises on May 24 and 25, and several medals were given to the graduates. Class of 1911 In the 1910-11 school year, Morgan City High School received its accreditation from the state and graduated its first class on May 18, 1911. The closing exercises for the Berwick Public School were held the following night. The Class of 1911 had six graduates from Morgan City and four from Berwick, LA. The six students from Morgan City (and the titles of their papers) were Hallie Bibbins (Class Will), Preston Comeaux (Reclamation of Land), Francis Hatch (Class Poem), Cora Hebert (Class History), Gladys Kinsey (Class Prophecy) and Edwin O’Brien (Waterways). A quintet composed of Naucisse Gray, Florence McClellan, Douglas Nye, Hazel Robichaux and Anita Winchester entertained throughout the evening. The graduates received their diplomas at the Evangeline Theatre from the guest speaker, Colonel James W. Nicholson, former president of Louisiana State University (1883, 1887-1896), who gave an address entitled The Utility and Dignity of Mathematics. There was a large banquet held after the ceremonies by the graduates for the faculty at the Hotel Costello. Class of 1912 The 1911-12 session began on September 12, 1911, with the following as members of the faculty: Professor Charles E. Carnes, Misses White, Lee, Thoms, Greene, Davis, Cox, Dillard, Blackman, Holmes and Reynaud. Year-over-year enrollment again increased. Class of 1913 In the 1912-13 school term, over 650 students enrolled at Morgan City High School, which exceeded all previous records. Domestic Science (which consisted of practical cooking and sewing), taught by Effie Davis Cotten, and a music department (vocals only) were added to the curriculum. The Class of 1913 held its commencement exercises on May 22 at the Evangeline Theatre. Professor Joseph M. Gwinn, superintendent of the New Orleans public schools, gave the commencement address. Florence McClellan, Hulda Thorgeson and Douglas Nye sang a rendition of the aria My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice from the opera Samson et Dalila, and a piano solo of Mendelssohn's May Breezes was played by Blanche Angelloz. An essay prize of a gold medal, donated by the Interstate Banking and Trust Company of New Orleans, was awarded to Harold Blum, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Blum, the subject being Immigration to the South. Rebecca Marques, salutatorian, gave her address entitled Woman Suffrage, and Douglas Nye, valedictorian, gave his speech on Education for Efficiency. The evening's exercises concluded with the senior class singing Bach's Wake, O Wake! The Class of 1913 included L. J. Adams, Blanche Angelloz, Theodore Becker, John Bibbins, Tiny Bibbins, Harold Blum, Harold Jacob, Floyd Manning, Rebecca Marques, Florence McClellan, Douglas Nye, Juanita O'Donnell, Linus Terrebonne, Hulda Thorgeson, and Rudolph Thorgeson. Class of 1914 The Class of 1914 closed its session with its commencement exercises on May 22 at the Evangeline Theatre. Professor Nicholas Bauer, Assistant Superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools, gave the oratory, and Alfreda Golden delivered her valedictory. The Morgan City High School Orchestra provided entertainment during the ceremonies. The graduates in the class were: Principal Louis Alexander Law (1914-1920) Professor Louis A. Law succeeded Charles E. Carnes as principal in 1914. By this time, the number of high school teachers had grown to six and MCHS had eighty-three students. During Louis A. Law’s tenure, the first school annual was published, a small one named The Fritz, and football, basketball, track and tennis teams were sponsored. By this time, MCHS has also established an orchestra and multiple literary societies. On October 14, 1914, the St. Mary Parish School Board met and Homer Levi Jolley of Morgan City reported that the construction of a Domestic Sciences building had been completed at Morgan City High School. Class of 1915 The Class of 1915 held its commencement exercises on May 27 at the Evangeline Theatre. Clarence C. Henson, Principal of the Newman Manual Training School (later named the Isidore Newman School) delivered the annual class address. There were twenty-one graduates in the Class of 1915: Gertrude Bascale, Mattie A. Boyle, Gilbert H. Brown, Dewey H. Brupbacker, Ester M. Drackett, Ernest W. Drackett, Rose M. Field, Borghild Gabrielson, Lizzie M. Gashia, Lillie Mae Hebert, Elizabeth Hutton, Eugene M. Jacobs, J. Warren Kinsley, Jules S. Labe, Iris M. Lynch, Beulah Lynch, Irene A. Marques, J. Brint McArthur, Ruth A. Moncrief, Charles A. O’Brien and James Owen Young. Class of 1916 The School Board met on July 14, 1915, and the following appointments for Morgan City High School were announced for the 1915-16 school year: L. A. Law, principal, Monte Theobald, Cornelia McDonald, Inez Wilson, Clare Lafferty, Ella Wade, Adela Ahn, Patte McNamara, Hallie Bibbins, Cecil Weil, Irene Price, Julia Brubacher, Cora Hebert, Mabel Collins, Caterins Terrill, Ary Wade and Fannie Parmalee. Total enrollment for the school year was 627 students. The Class of 1916 held their graduation exercises on May 26, and Professor Albert Bledsoe Dinwiddie, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Tulane University, gave the commencement oratory. Professor Dinwiddie later served as president of Tulane University (1918–1935). Class of 1917 The 1916-17 school term had the following faculty members: Professor Louis A. Law, E. E. Dean, Inez Wilson, Kate Preusch, Ellen Wade, Oma Lafferty, Stella LaMond, Mattie McNamara, Hallie Bibbins, Annie Lynch, Cecile Weil, Irene Price, Cora Hebert, Mabel Collins, Catherine Terrell, Ary Wade and Fannie Parmelee. On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and entered World War I. The Class of 1917 held its graduation ceremonies at the Opera House on May 21, 1917, and Professor Nicholas Bauer, Assistant Superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools, gave the commencement address. The graduates were: Frieda Bass, Allen Bella, John Bourgeois, Clayton Coleman, Vivian Cropper, Eddie Dyer, Nellie Durham, Gunda Gabrielson, Merville Gautreaux, Arthur Golden, Joe Granata, Alma Larose, Isaac Mimel, Una O'Brien, Wallace O'Brien and Thelma Thorgeson. Class of 1918 By 1918, the production needs of World War I had Morgan City’s shipyards booming and brought in many new workers and their families to the growing town. In just nine years, Morgan City High School had already outgrown its "new" building. Principal Law worked diligently to have a new building for the high school erected, but his tenure ended before he could see it come to fruition. The Class of 1918 filled the Opera House to capacity for their commencement exercises. Just before the opening of the program, the twenty-one members of the class met at the Elks' Home together with the speakers of the evening, Rev. Father Souby and Parish Superintendent Charles Gott, and marched to the Opera House. Seventeen members of the class were girls, and all were dressed in white carrying huge bouquets of flowers. As they passed in files of twos, traffic in the neighborhood came to a complete standstill. The principal address of the evening was delivered by the Honorable George Guion of Napoleonville, and Superintendent Gott gave a speech entitled Keeping the Schools up to High Standards During the War. The MCHS Glee Club entertained with a program of the following songs: O Columbia, Columbia Beloved (from Donizetti's opera Lucrezia Borgia), '' A Song of Liberty'', Knitting, America Triumphant and My Country, 'Tis of Thee. Graduate speeches were given by Adrietta McColley (Extracts from Speeches and Messages from President Wilson), Robert Kline (The Necessity for Production and Conservation of Food), Violet Thorguson (The Work of the Red Cross in the War) and Eileen O'Brien (War Savings Stamps). The members of the Class of 1918 were: Eula Adams, Bertrude Boudreaux, Edna Drews, Chloe Forgey, Jeanette Greenwood, Alma Hanson, Jacob Hebert, Olive Jacobs, Robert Kline, Esther Lynch, Katherine Maitland, Sarah Maitland, Adrietta McColley, Agnes McCormick, Eileen O'Brien, Kathleen O'Brien, Agnes Price, Donald Robinson, Vallie Robicheaux, Violet Thorguson and Ione Verret. Class of 1919 The MCHS Class of 1919 had their graduation exercises and received their diplomas on June 10 at the Evangeline Theatre, with T. H. Harris, the State of Louisiana Superintendent of Education, giving the commencement address. After Reverend M. J. McLean gave the invocation, members of the class gave their speeches: Mildred Hanson (Class History), Gertrude Blum (Woman's Part in the War), Ollie Moncrief (Lest We Forget) and Roussel Norman (Thrift). The night's entertainment included a rendition of Laddie in Khaki by faculty member Miss Foster and the Glee Club singing Come Where the Lilies Bloom, Baby Jim and The Lark at Morn is Soaring High. The members of the Class of 1919 were Albert Belanger, Gertrude Blum, Clarence Berwick, Leah Cashia, Josephine Cutrera, Laura Lee Fields, Sidney Golden, Fannie Goldman, Mildred Hanson, Ruth Hobby, Meyer Levy, Louise Marchette, Ollie Moncrief, Peter Roussel Norman, Daniel Smylie, George Thorguson, Lottie Watkins and Amy Young. Class of 1920 The St. Mary Parish School Board met on October 9, 1919, and member Homer L. Jolley moved, seconded by member Frank Dancey Winchester, and unanimously carried, that the School Board of St. Mary Parish proceed to advertise for bids for the erection and entire completion of a two-story brick building in the city of Morgan City, with bids being received until noon on December 1, 1919. At this same meeting, a letter from Willard Ditch of Morgan City dated September 10, 1919, was read which offered a donation of land for the erection of a Colored Public School in Morgan City, "Lots 15 and 16, Block 103, having a front of 100 feet on Seventh Street and 125 feet facing the South on Marguerite Street." This location today would be in the current parking lot of Morgan City Tiger Stadium. At the time, Seventh Street did not dead-end at Marguerite Street, and that area of town was known as "Ditch's Evangeline Addition." The Board unanimously carried the motion and it was referred to Superintendent for investigation. The Class of 1920 had its commencement exercises on May 7 at the Evangeline Theatre, with the address being delivered by Nicholas Bauer, Assistant Superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools, who later served as Superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools from 1923 to 1941. Mary Louise Storm recited the class history and the presentation of diplomas was by Homer L. Jolley. The seventeen graduates were: Dorothy Bass, Lois Belanger, Sylvester Bourgeois, Dorothy Dreher, Mary Forgey, Gladys Geisler, Charles E. Kahn, Mildred Norman, Blanche O’Brien, Walter Pierron, Hattie Price, Gladys Robichaux, Theodore Schmidt, Murray Squires, Mary Louise Storm and Mary Winchester. Principal Joe Farrar (1920-1923) On July 7, 1920, the St. Mary Parish School Board met and newly-elected Superintendent Louis A. Law announced the appointments to Morgan City High School for the 1920-21 school year. Joe Farrar was endorsed as principal again, (vacant) first assistant, Inez Wilson, second assistant, Martha Foster, Frankie Wood, Clara Robbins (Domestic Economy), Ruth Cook (music and art), Ruth Proctor (commerce), Annie Lynch, Hallie Bibbins, Mabel Brupbacher, Alfreda Golden, Blanche Angelloz, Irene Price, Gussie Goldberg, Cora Hebert, Jaxie Cauthers, Gladys Adams, Lena Hebert and Emma Healy. Class of 1921 In the first years of Principal Farrar’s stewardship, overcrowding and understaffing were still significant problems, and the School Board had already approved and advertised for bids in late 1919. After many delays, on May 24, 1921, bids were opened for "the erection and completion of a two-story and basement brick school." Class of 1922 In 1922, construction was completed on the new $40,000 high school building on the corner of Brashear Avenue and Third Street, near what then became the elementary school building. The Class of 1922 had its graduation ceremony at the Evangeline Theatre on May 19, and Professor Victor L. Roy, President of Louisiana State Normal College, delivered the commencement address. Maurice O’Neill, Valedictorian, delivered his oration entitled The Public School and Its Future. The Class of 1922 included: Charles E. Ayo, Lawrence Babin, Ivan Belanger, Ruth M. Bessin, Elise Blum, Dimple Boudreaux, Bessie Bourgeois, Irving Campos, Gertie Lee Conner, John Courtney, Carrie Cutrera, Paul Drury, Adelaide Gautreaux, Matilde Grizzaffi, Richard L. Loeb, Willie Lowrey, Maurice O’Neill, Wildon Shinn, Cora Sofford, Margaret Songe, Lucille Toerner, Myrtle Walker, Alonzo Waters and Dancy Winchester. Class of 1923 The school year 1922-23 proved to be significant for MCHS. Under the leadership of Professor Farrar, the high school gained its accreditation from the Association of Southern Schools. The number of teachers had increased and the student population numbered one hundred fifty-eight. A Commercial Department was added to the school’s curriculum that year, albeit with one instructor and only two typewriters. The first school annual, Memoria, and the first school newspaper, the Pilot, were published, and a new library was added by the P.T.A. In addition, for the first time the school colors were referenced as "Olive and Blue" in the 1923 Memoria. Joining Principal Farrar that school year was Jesse J. Hinson, Assistant Principal and Professor of Science. The other faculty members were Gladys Adams, Blanche Angelloz, Hallie Bibbins, Mabel Brupbacher, Hazel Corbin, Olive Davidson, Winona Davidson, Margaret Davis, Lucy Foote, Cora Hebert, Mary Hopkins, Pearl LeGendre, Isabel Lund, Annie Lynch, Kathryn Maitland, Ora Belle McMichael, Cora Miller, Irene Price, Marjorie Robinson, May Warner, Ruthy Wright, See Wright, Aimee Young and Harriet Zerr. The Class of 1923 had its graduation ceremony on May 18 at the Evangeline Theatre. The commencement address was delivered by the former two-time Governor of Louisiana, U.S. Congressman Jared Young Sanders Sr., who was born on Inglewood Plantation located 3 miles east of Morgan City. Fifteen students were in the Class of 1923: Jessie Mae Bernucho, Lyle F. Berry, Carl S. Blum, Richard E. Driskill, Ethel M. Fells, Ione Farrar, Adele V. Hanson, Myrtle R. Harris, Cassius E. Jolley, Miriam T. Leopold, Archie Lynch, Lillian Lynch, David J. Norman, Catherine Pennington and Phillip Raiche. The valedictorian was David J. Norman and the salutatorian was Carl S. Blum. After his tenure at Morgan City High School, Dr. Joe Farrar became the first dean of Lake Charles Junior College (1939-1940), which later became McNeese State University in 1970, and then president of Louisiana State Normal College (1941-1944) located in Natchitoches, LA, which was renamed Northwestern State University of Louisiana in 1970. Principal Henry Leon Killen (1923-1929) Henry L. Killen succeeded Joe Farrar as principal for the 1923-24 school year. Under his leadership, Morgan City High School continued its progress in scholarship and athletics. Class of 1924 The Class of 1924's thirty-four graduates had their commencement exercises on May 16. Class of 1925 In the 1924-25 session, Miss Clara Ingram became the head of the Commercial Department and she changed the name of the school newspaper to the Broadcaster. Class of 1926 Class of 1927 The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 struck Morgan City and the area particularly hard. The schools in the area closed and there was no graduating class for that year. Class of 1928 Class of 1929 The Class of 1929 held their graduation ceremony on May 22. Principal Harry Simon Hover Sr. (1929-1940) In 1929, Harry S. Hover Sr. was appointed principal of Morgan City High School, a position he held until 1940, when he was called to active duty in the U.S. Army. Class of 1930 By the 1929-30 school year, the Commercial Department continued to expand and the production of a student newspaper went forward under a new banner, the Student Prints, and the first volume of the Tiger yearbook was published. On October 29, 1929, a day now known as Black Tuesday, the Stock Market crashed, losing $30B in two days, and marked the beginning of the Great Depression which lasted until the beginning of World War II. The Class of 1930 held their commencement exercises on May 30 at the Opera House, with the commencement address delivered by Ralph L. Ropp, Professor of English and Director of Publicity at the Louisiana State Normal College, and future president of Louisiana Tech University (1949-1962). Alice Knotts was the valedictorian and Elizabeth Jolley was the salutatorian of the class. Graduates of the Class of 1930 were: Medric Auenson, Robert Bibbins, Andrew Boudreaux, Ignatius Cefalu, Marguerite Campos, Wilton Clay, Russell Delaune, Lucy DiMicelli, Mary DiMicelli, Polly Dreher, Jeanne Duplan, John Fangue, Burl Forgey, Eugene Garber, Paul Geisler, Wilson Gautreaux, Peter Guarisco, Julius Hebert, Elizabeth Jolley, Alice Knotts, David Kahn, Eleanor Levy, Maurice Morgan, Edward Mahfouz, Edward Naquin, Ruth O’Brien, Tracey Peterson, Frances Pharr, J. D. Piasoni, Louise Price, Louis Russo, Maurice Shannon, Dorothy Simmons, Grace Songe, Dorothy Stansbury, Hilda Stephens, Sophie Templet, Annie Thomas, J. C. Thomas, Eleanor Thorguson and Lufra Trahan. Class of 1931 Class of 1932 Class of 1933 Class of 1934 Class of 1935 In 1935, the school's yearbook was called Ship of State, and after a brief hiatus, the school newspaper's name returned as the Student Prints. Class of 1936 In the 1935-36 session, Velma Nichols took over the music department, which still only taught vocal music. Under the guidance of assistant principal T. W. R. Johnson, the Tau Chapter of the Mu Sigma Society of Louisiana High Schools, an honorary academic fraternity, received its charter on November 21, 1935. The Mu Sigma Society was started in 1932 by Mu Sigm Rho, an honorary scholastic fraternity at Louisiana State University. Its purpose was the inculcating of of high ideals and the encouragement of accomplishment through thorough and consistent scholarship. To be eligible for membership in the organization, a student must have maintained a B average for five consecutive semesters. LSU still awards the Mu Sigma Rho Outstanding Upperclassman Scholarship Award to benefit a graduate of a Louisiana high school pursuing an undergraduate degree in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The members of Mu Sigma were instrumental in the formation of the first MCHS Student Council that term, which consisted of nineteen students representing the high school classes and organizations. Class of 1937 In 1936-37, Miss Nichols chose the select voices of MCHS and divided them into Boys Glee Club, Girls Glee Club and Mixed Chorus - the first large choral groups formed in the school. In the spring of 1937, the choruses were entered in the district music festival in Lafayette and the state music festival in Natchitoches. MCHS brought home top honors from both festivals. Class of 1938 Class of 1939 In the 1938-39 school year, the MCHS glee clubs again received superior ratings at the state festival in Natchitoches. Morgan City High School's first school band was organized in January 1939 under the direction of Champ Bass Tyrone. By the end of the school session, the band had forty-nine members. Class of 1940 Early on January 28, 1940, fire swept through the high school building and badly damaged the classrooms, causing an estimated $20,000 in damage. While the building was being renovated, the high school classes resumed on the third floor of the elementary school building and the sixth and seventh grade classes were moved to City Hall. In the spring of 1940, the MCHS Glee Clubs entered the State Music Festival in Lafayette, LA, and received superior ratings in Boys Glee Club, Girls Glee Club and Mixed Chorus. In the National Regional competition in Shreveport, they captured two superior and one excellent rating. Principal Louis Thornberry Holmes (1940-1947) In December 1940, Louis T. Holmes took over as principal when Principal Harry S. Hover Sr. was called to active duty in the U.S. Army. As the country was preparing for the possibility of war, Morgan City’s population began to surge – leading to the need for further expansion of the school’s facilities. Class of 1941 In February 1941, a group of Morgan City citizens began to raise funds to purchase band uniforms. By April the group had made enough money to buy band members coats and caps of olive and blue gabardine. In the spring of 1941, the MCHS Glee Clubs entered the National District Music Festival in Jackson, MS, and received the highest possible awards. Morgan City High was the only school in Region Seven to receive superior ratings. Ruby Dean King was crowned Homecoming Queen by King Ira Hebert on March 14, 1941, with the ball being held at Dalton Hall. After the coronation of the queen, the Glee Club sang for the first time the school Alma Mater, composed and directed by Mary Pfendt, vocal instructor at MCHS. The dance music was provided by Billy Shaw and his orchestra. The Class of 1941 presented medals and awards won by the following graduates of Morgan City High School at the commencement exercises held at the Dalton Hall on June 5: P.T.A. medals, Barbara Snell and Jimmy Russell; science awards, Arlin Chauvin and Lloyd Guillory; Shirley Kurzweg home economics award, Doris Miss; American Legion medals, Rilma Jarrett and Patrick H. Kenny, Jr.; Henry Kahn memorial trophy, Barbara Snell. Class of 1942 The 1941-42 school year faculty included Louis Holmes, Marguerite Campos, Hattie J. Chance, Dorothy Coats, Andrew W. Giordano, William H. Goodwin, Ray Kahn, Earl Lemmon, Annie Lynch, Katherine Fields Michel, Natalie Morris, Mary Pfendt, Alberta Robichaux, Mona Roder and Esmee Ste. Marie. On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii]. The following day, The United States Congress passed and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a Declaration of War against Japan, and on December 11, Germany declared war on the United States. Many students from Morgan City High School were ready to serve and enlisted as soon as possible. On December 19, 1941, the dedication ceremony was held for the new building added to the campus, located between the grammar school and existing high school. It included an auditorium/gymnasium and athletic facilities, a band room for the music department, a cafeteria and rooms for the home economics department. The Class of 1942 held its commencement exercises on May 29. After the MCHS Tiger Band opened with the processional music and Reverend D. B. Boddie delivered the invocation. Barbara Ann Schreier gave a welcoming address to the audience and graduates. The top students in the Class of 1942 each gave their oratories with a patriotic theme: Wanita Boudreaux (Washington), Selwyn P. Rogers Jr. (Jefferson and Franklin), Margaret Klonaris (Lincoln), Janice Loeb (Wilson) and Corinne Peace (Roosevelt and McArthur). Entertainment for the evening was provided by the Glee Club singing All Men Now Sing, Rejoice (Bach), Wanita Boudreaux and Geraldine Canty then performed a vocal duet of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach), and Wanita Boudreaux, Geraldine Canty and Harry P. Gautier sang Old College Hymn. After the presentations of medals, awards and diplomas, the graduates sang the newly written Alma Mater, led by the author, Mary Pfendt. The Class of 1942 included: Ruth Hilda Asplund, Albert Alwagain, Junius Barrilleaux, Dempsey "Jack" Beadle, Edward Bergeron, Ella Mae Blanchard, Beverly Bonner, Gertrude Boudoin, Armond Boudreaux, Dewey Boudreaux, Lovelace J. Boudreaux, Wanita Boudreaux, Henry "Sonny" Bourgeois, Catherine Breaux, Adolph Brooks, Evelyn Brown, Elizabeth Busby, Geraldine Canty, Mildred Carlson, Jeffery Champagne, Mary Chassion, Clayton Chauvin, Coral Clark, Fred Driskill, Carrie Duval, Dorothy Ellzey, Olga Mae Falgout, Leo Frederick, Betty Frost, Earnest Ganaway, Harry P. Gautier, Dewey Gautreaux, Billie Gilmore, C. J. Gleber, Zelma Grabert, Merton Guidry, Mary Alice Hebert, Lester Huddleston, Margaret Klonaris, Lionel LeBlanc, Vincent LeGendre, Janice Loeb, Lorena Loupe, Amy Louise Lyall, Yural Nini, Yvonne Pattie, Corinne Peace, Mildred Perillioux, Frank Resignola, Kenward Reynaud, Alrena Richmond, Selwyn P. Rogers Jr., J. L. Saunders, Barbara Ann Schreier, Gerald Stansbury, Merlin C. Stansbury, Allen Templet, Leroy Theriot, Ward Theriot and Floyd Thibodaux. Class of 1943 In December 1942, Morgan City High School met the standards and was approved for membership in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Class of 1944 Class of 1945 Class of 1946 Class of 1947 Principal Harry Simon Hover Sr. (1947-1955) In 1946, Harry S. Hover Sr. returned to Morgan City and resumed his position as principal of MCHS in 1947 after serving with distinction in Europe with the U.S. Army during World War II, where he received the Purple Heart and Silver Star and returned as a Lt. Colonel. He continued to serve as principal until 1955, when he was named Assistant Superintendent of the St. Mary Parish School Board. Class of 1948 Class of 1949 Class of 1950 Class of 1951 Class of 1952 Class of 1953 Class of 1954 Class of 1955 Principal Louis Thornberry Holmes (1955-1967) After the departure of Harry S. Hover, Sr., Louis T. Holmes once again became principal. Class of 1956 In the 1955-56 session, Morgan City High School once more expanded to meet the needs of a growing population due to the influx of people for jobs created by the oil and gas industry. The original campus on Brashear and Federal Avenues had no more room to expand, so land was acquired on Marguerite Street that had enough acreage for the expansion needs of the school and for the future needs of a football stadium and baseball park. The Class of 1956 was the first class to graduate from the new MCHS campus. Class of 1957 Class of 1958 The Class of 1958 valedictorian was Larry Morris Loeb. The salutatorian was Flavia Verrett. Class of 1959 Selected for to attend the American Legion's Boys State were Billy Duet, Paul Conner and Barry Talbot, and Girls State honorees were Barbara Dupont and Lois Mire. The Homecoming King and Queen for the Class of 1959 were Burl Forgey and Janet Thomas. The Sweetheart of 1959 was Valerie Jorden. Class of 1960 Class of 1961 Class of 1962 Class of 1953 Class of 1964 Class of 1965 Class of 1966 The Class of 1966 valedictorian was Linda Perez and the salutatorian was John Harlan. Juniors selected for the American Legion's Boys State Andre Chauvin, Douglas Ingram, Warren Stockstill and Randy Wilks; selected for Girls State were Melanie Crim, Jennifer Dupont and Paula Sammons. Class of 1967 For the 1966-67 session, Drue McHugh was chosen as Homecoming Queen and Sweetheart Queen. 'Principal Wilton M. Sharkey (1967-1970)' Class of 1968 In 1968, the schools in St. Mary Parish began the process of desegregating the school system. Initially, the parish implemented a "freedom of choice" plan where African-American schools remained open and students could voluntarily choose to attend previously white-only schools. This plan stayed in effect until the 1970-71 school year. Class of 1969 The valedictorian for the Class of 1969 was Jack Harlan. Class of 1970 The 1970 school year marked the first year of fully integrated schools in St. Mary Parish. The previously all-black Sumpter Williams High School was converted to an integrated elementary school of the same name. The King and Queen of Homecoming in 1969 were Randy Nicar and Pat Arcemont. The 1970 Sweetheart was Tana Williams. Students selected to attend the American Legion's Boys State and Girls State were: Mary Claire Blakeman, Jim Corbett, Joey Guarisco, Kenny Jackson, Cecile McAdams, Hugh McNeely, Mary Opperman, Paul Ordogne, Gail Rock, Kent St. Germain and Joe Whiting. After the Class of 1970 graduated, the building was renamed Morgan City Junior High School and all future classes were moved to the current location of Morgan City High School. Principal Glen Perkins (1970-1972) Class of 1971 The Class of 1971 was the first class to graduate from Morgan City High School's current location. The Class of 1971's valedictorian was Andrea Saltz, and the salutatorian was Karen Kimbrell. The following awards were presented to graduating seniors: Class of 1972 The King and Queen of Homecoming in 1971 were Joe Johnson and Debbie Kistner. The 1972 Sweetheart was Harriet McHugh. Principal Al J. Belaire (1972-1982) Class of 1973 In August 1972, the following members of the Class of 1973 attended the American Legion's Boys State and Girls State on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge: Virgil Allen, Ralph Bender, Keith Dupre, Wayne Lindsey, Harriet McHugh, Glenda Solar and Lee Vaccari. Class of 1974 Class of 1975 In August 1974, the following members of the Class of 1975 attended the American Legion's Boys State and Girls State on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge: Brian Allen, Gary Campos, Carla Mills and Rhonda Stansbury. Class of 1976 Class of 1977 Class of 1978 Class of 1979 Class of 1980 Class of 1981 Class of 1982 Principal John P. Weimer (1982-1988) Class of 1983 Class of 1984 Class of 1985 Class of 1986 Class of 1987 Class of 1988 Principal Wendell C. Douglas (1988-1989) Class of 1989 Principal Kenneth E. "Kenny" Alfred (1989-1997) Class of 1990 Class of 1991 Class of 1992 Class of 1993 Class of 1994 Class of 1995 Class of 1996 Class of 1997 Principal Monica Laughlin Mancuso, Ph.D. (1997-2001) Class of 1998 Class of 1999 Class of 2000 Class of 2001 Principal Peter "Pete" Boudreaux (2001-2006) Class of 2002 Class of 2003 Class of 2004 Class of 2005 Class of 2006 Principal Milton "Mickey" Fabre (2007- Present) Class of 2008 Class of 2009 Class of 2010 Class of 2011 Valedictorian for the Class of 2011 was Tucker Doiron. Class of 2012 Class of 2013 Class of 2014 Class of 2015 The MCHS Tiger Band competed in Orlando, FL, in Universal Studios Florida's "Music USA Festival" competition and were crowned as the Grand Champions. At the 2015 State Music Rally held at LSU, Breannah Richard, Jahne Bailey, Korhoree Johnson received a "Superior" rating in the Female Trio category, singing a difficult a cappella piece entitled Songbird. Hannah Crochet also received a "Superior" rating in the Female Solo category, singing I Could Have Danced All Night from the musical My Fair Lady. Tyler Hebert was selected as a member of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Academic All-State Composite Team, as she maintained a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average in her four years at MCHS. Category:Browse